The Republican | Lori StabileHardwick firefighters at the scene of Tuesday's fire at 151 Off Maple St. in the Wheelwright section of town.

HARDWICK - State police and firefighters are investigating a suspicious fire at 151 Off Maple St. in the Wheelwright section of town, and are trying to find the whereabouts of the property's missing elderly owner.

The fire was called in at about 7:45 a.m. today, and fire investigators were still at the scene at 2:30 p.m. The driveway to the home was blocked with yellow "do not cross" tape. Only firefighters and state and local police were allowed past it.

Hardwick Fire Chief Raymond S. Walker said the home's owner, Joseph Cernauskas, 84, is missing, as well as his 1999 brown Town & Country van, with a Massachusetts license plate 74TG94. Walker said Cernauskas' van was reportedly seen in town around 5:30 a.m. Area police departments were told to be on the lookout for it.

"No one knows where he is," Walker said.

Walker said the home is a total loss, and that it took several hours to get the fire under control. His department was assisted by the Barre, Ware, Templeton and New Braintree fire departments. Between 45 and 50 firefighters were on the scene. No one was injured.

Joseph Cernauskas

The long and winding driveway to Cernauskas' home goes by the water treatment plant. Walker said the firefighters could not get inside the home because of the clutter, and had to fight it from the outside. He said the fire was called in by a neighbor. Cernauskas lived alone, according to fire officials.

According to the assessor's office, the home was built in 1915 and sits on 15.7 acres; its assessed value is $80,600; it only had an outhouse.

A press release from the Worcester County District Attorney's Office stated that Cernauskas is about 5 feet, 9 inches tall, and if anyone sees him, or his van, they should call the state police barracks in Holden at (508) 829-8420.

More details will be posted as they become available.

This is the second fire in a week in Hardwick; firefighters also had a fire at Jackson Road on Friday; it is not considered suspicious, Walker said.Hardwick Missing Person